1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting device having a hollow body with a continuous through-hole that axially penetrates the body for mounting a capacitor on a connector element, and to a mount-capacitor assembly including such a mounting device and an electrolytic capacitor inserted in the mounting device, the capacitor having a cup with a cup bottom and a circumferential outer insulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mounting devices and assemblies of this type are used in many systems in which electrolytic capacitors are mounted on connector elements both vertically and horizontally.
Various capacitors and mount-capacitor assemblies are known.
DE 39 19 483 A1 and DE 38 43 652 A1 disclose basic embodiments of electrolytic capacitors. In the previously known electrolytic capacitor, the cup and the aluminum cover are welded gastight by a laser weld that extends over the outer circumference of the unit formed by the cup cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,768,056 B2 discloses an electrolytic capacitor with a housing with an electrically conductive cup, which has a wall and a bottom, and with an electrically insulating envelope that covers the outside of the cup and has an opening at the bottom of the cup. The opening is smaller than the bottom of the cup. The housing also includes a fill element that is a good thermal conductor and is arranged inside the opening, and a cover element that is electrically insulating covers the bottom of the cup and overlaps the envelope. In addition, the patent discloses an electrolytic capacitor with a round coil and the housing as well as a housing assembly or an assembly of an electrolytic capacitor. Improved heat conduction of the housing with reduced production cost for the cup can be realized by the use of a flat cup bottom in conjunction with a fill element and a cover element.
DE 196 42 462 A1 discloses other forms of electrolytic capacitors with a cup which provide effective dissipation of heat produced during operation. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the bottom of the cup, which is covered with a heat-conducting plate, is pressed against the chassis or the capacitor support. This is ensured by the fact that the heat-shrinkable sleeve ends at the recess just above the bottom of the cup. The intimate contact with the heat sink is achieved by a pressing force produced by screw connection of screw collar rings with the capacitor support.
A disadvantage of the above mentioned examples is their inadequate mounting on possible connector elements, since, for example, only a screw collar ring is provided, which does not satisfy requirements with respect to stability when mounted on a vertical wall, from which the capacitor projects horizontally. Moreover, some of the above cited non-standard capacitors are expensive to produce.
In addition, known mounting devices do not provide a self-centering of the capacitor, so that they can be aligned and centered only with difficulty in locations which are difficult to access.